Bandera's First Bank
Corner of Cedar Street and Eleventh, Bandera.
"Bandera's First Bank. On Texas Republic land grant. Hand-cut native
rock. Built about 1860. A school, home, shop. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark,
1965."
Old English-Crist House
From Pipe Creek, take FM 1283 South about 3 mile (house is just before
Bottle Creek Rd.)
"Land here bought 1878 by J. W. English; this cabin built about
1888 near crossing of Medina Rivers; was sold 1906 to T.S. Crist. Families
gave shelter and food to many travelers, including wagon train pioneer,
charcoal haulers, and Texas Rangers. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark,
1968."
Old Huffmeyer Store
Main & Cypress Streets in Bandera
"Built 1873 for E. Huffmeyer & brother, by B.F. Langford, Sr., contractor;
of native stone. Bandera's oldest building. Used over 30 years by W.J.
Davenport, Sr., as general store. Damaged by fire, 1936. Restored and remodeled
by Thomas F. Boyle. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1967."
Old Stanard Home
Medina, East side.
"On land owned by John James, surveyor of Bandera and Castroville
townsites, and by Confederate general John Bell Hood. Hostile Indians prevented
construction until 1878, two years prior to founding of Medina. Owned by
Standard family since 1889. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965."
Benjamin Franklin and Mary Hay Langford, Jr. Home
407 Fourteenth St - Bandera
"Benjamin Franklin and Mary Hay Langford, Jr. Home Bandera's early settlers
included Lyman Wight's Mormon colony, which arrived in 1854. In 1890, John
and Jennie Davenport Miller bought this site from colonists George and
Virgine Minear hay. George and early Bandera settler Isaac Berry Langford
helped build a home for the Millers, who sold it in 1904 to children of
the Hays and Langfords: Benjamin Franklin "Frank" Langford, Jr., and his
bride, Mary Emma Hay. The couple added to the house over the years, converting
the one-story, l-plan design into a two-story block structure. Frank and
Mary were active in the community and donated land across the street for
a Mormon church. The long-time Langford family home serves as a reminder
of Bandera's early history. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 2002"
Schmidtke-Callahan House
Cypress & MainStreets
"This home was constructed in the 1870s by Georgia stonemason James
Henry White for Charles F. Schmidtke (1839-1884). A native of Germany,
Schmidtke was an early Bandera merchant, grist miller, and lumber mill
operator. White's grandson J. Calvin Callahan (d. 1958), the owner of a
feed store and poultry business, purchased the property in 1927. The limestone
house, with influences of Greek Revival styling, remained in the Callahan
family until the 1970s. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981."
Spettel Riverside House
Off Park Road 37, Lakehills. Take Ten Thousand Trails Road to recreational
area, house is just inside gates -
The road changes to Spettel Road
"John B. Spettel, Jr. (1853-1909), through partnerships with Jacob Koenig,
his brother Joseph Spettel and his brother-in-law Louis Schorp, became
a successful area cattleman. By 1881 he and his bride Theresa Leibold (1854-1941)
were living in this home a mile south of Mitchell's Crossing on the Medina
River, now under the waters of Medina Lake. Featuring elaborate ornamentation,
the Spettel Riverside House became a popular stop for travelers on the
road between Castroville and Bandera. Following completion of the Medina
Dam in 1912, it was moved to this site. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
- 1981."
Jureczki House
is on the National Register
607 Cypress St, Bandera
The Old Jureczki House, with its simple and functional, yet charming
design, is one of the largest and best- preserved Polish pioneer houses
in Bandera County and central Texas. The style of the 2-story plastered
stone residence, repotedly built in 1876 by Frank Jureczki near the Medina
River, exhibits certain Alsatian influences similar to the historic architecture
of Castroville, located to the southeast of Bandera. The builder of the
house is not recorded, but it seems likely, from the structure's height,
plastered limestone, louvered shutters, and porximity to the front boundary
line, that he was from Castroville, a stopping point for the Polish emigrants
on their way to Bandera. Although the architectural style of the Jureczki
House was undoubtedly influenced by the heritage and race of the owner,
the simple form of this dwelling, as well as those of other pioneers from
Eastern Europe, was indigenous to Texas. The simple construction of this
structure, which was adapted to the local building materials and climate
of Texas, reflects the simple and often rugged way of life Polish emigrants
to Texas faced during the second half fo the 19th century.
The rectangular, 2-story porched house is connected on the northwest
rear to a single-story wooden shed which extends the length of the house
and originally measured 9 feet in width. The central hallway, a prominent
feature which typified most Texas pioneer houses, extended through the
center of the main house and shed, dividing the latter into two separate
kitchens. The main house is constructed of large squared limestone rocks
of varied sizes, and the single story extension, of pine siding. With the
exception of the southwest side, the limestone was plastered throughout.
The original stone foundation of the house is in good condition, but the
large squared stones of the porch, which were originally laid dry, have
been cemented for greater stability.
A two-story porch, extending the length of the house, is formed on
the southeast front under a sloping extension of the gabled shed roof.
Hand-cut cypress shingles originally covered the corrugated tin roof, as
well as the sloping roof of the rear shed. A tall limestone chimney dominates
the southwest side of the building, while the 2- story porch extends around
the opposite side on the northeast, forming a balcony with no upper roof.
The projecting shed roof is supported by six original 20-foot heart cedar
pillars, reported to have brought down to Bandera from the headwaters of
the Medina River. Like these facade pillars, shorter ones on the northeast
side were set in square stone block foundations, and supported the second
story open gallery and railing. Many beams and joists throughout the house,
such as the support beams for the porch, were constructed of hand-cut cedar.
The second story and lower floor of the porch, whcih rose 2 feet above
ground level, were both constructed of smooth heart pine, probably hauled
from San Antonio, as were the original exterior railings and plain balustrade.
There is a keen sense of symmetry and balance in the placement of
the windows and doors in the Jureczki House. The 6/6 double-hung windows
are aligned on either side of a central opening on both floors. All the
windows have the original louvered shutters which were painted blue and
green at different times. Pine wood trimmed the window openings and the
northeast side entrance door with arched glass panels. The central fromal
entrance was a high, symmetrical double door which was originally flanked
by one sidelight and an ill-fitted louvered door. This louvered door has
since been replaced with a sidelight matching the existing one. Unique
features of the doors throughout the house include brown and white china
door knobs and rim locks.
The simple functional style of the exterior, in which no useless
detail or unnecessary ornament was applied, is reflected, too, in the arrangement
of the interior. The main entrance opens onto a central hallway which funnels
the river breeze through the rooms, both upstairs and down. The central
hallway contains a rough ladder-like open stairway leading to the second
floor. Both floors are divided into two square rooms on either side of
the hallway. The interior walls of the house are all of plaster, painted
white or whitewashed. The living room fireplace on the southwest end is
a simple square opening in the wall with only a rough board set above it
in the plaster. Next to the fireplace is a niche in the wall which contained
the remains of a china music box, found when the house was sold to the
present owners. The interior pine floors are in excellent condition, even
though they were never varnished or waxed. Some of the interior woodwork
had originally been whitewashed or stained dark brown. Ceilings, which
were not left unpainted, were whitewashed or painted a light blue shade.
Outbuildings on the property include a small, steeply roofed barn,
constructed of cypress and cedar logs, and a four-holed outhouse made of
cypress planks and roofed with hand-made shingles. Located at the southwest
corner of the house is a stone cistern with a circular top cut from a single
piece of limestone.
The physical condition of the house is excellent, and most of the
original features of the interior and exterior have remained untouched,
except for cleaning or refinishing. Alterations and considerable replacement,
though, have been necessary where deterioration has damaged structural
materials, namely on the single story shed in the rear, and the wooden
porch floors. New flooring has replaced the original pine floors on both
stories. All floors were replaced with pine similar to the original wood,
with the exception of the floor on the lower northeast porch. Since this
floor was subject to the most weathering, it was rebuilt with Saltillo
tile. The posts on the front porch needed only minor bracing and resetting.
The wooden shed on the northwest rear of the house was rebuilt, since it
had slipped off its original foundation and fallen into ruins. It was totally
replaced with the same materials in the original style, so that the original
appearance and character of this structure was retained. The new shed was
widened 3 ft. to afford more living space for the present owners. The old
cedar shingles and pine siding were exactly duplicated, and the small limestone
chimney kept in place on the northeast side. Original foundation stones
were reset and the rear entrance left in its original location. Pine floors
were replaced with Saltillo tile, and cypress panelling was employed inside,
along with weathered cypress boards from an old animal shed. Alterations
were made in the size and location of the shed's windows and doors for
installation of a modern kitchen, bath, storage room, and small studio.
Restoration plans, which included general maintenance and returning
the structure to its original physical condition, have been executed by
Mr. and Mrs. Don F. Tobin since 1962, when they purchased the property.
The present owners have furnished the house with antique pieces from families
in the Bandera area, and intend to use the house as a private residence
and vacation home.
Constructed in 1876 by the Polish emigrant Frank Jureczki, the well-preserved
Jureczki House is an outstanding example of indigenous Polish pioneer architecture
in central Texas in the second half of the 19th century. Among the original
sixteen pioneer families who founded the Polish Community in Bandera, Frank
Jureczki was the only member to achieve a fine 2-story Alsatian-styled
residence, in a relatively poor community of crude log cabins and modest
stone cottages. Located across the street from St. Stanislaus Catholic
Church, built by Polish settlers in the same year, the structure housed
a store and saloon on the first floor, and continued through the years
to fill a vital role in the social and religious life of the Polish community
in Bandera.
Frank Jureczki and his wife, Carolina, were members of a group comprised
of Polish emigrant peasants, who arrived in Bandera in February, 1855,
after an arduous trip from the old country. They landed in Galveston in
January, 1855, and were transported to Indianola, from whence they traveled
by foot and wagon to Victoria and San Antonio. In San Antonio they were
met by Charles de Montel, owner of the land around Bandera, who took them
to Castroville and Quihi. Upon their arrival in Bandera, entrepreneurs
John James and Charles de Montel offered each man in the party a lot in
the new town, which had been laid out in 1853.
They also sold small tracts of farmland in the vicinity to many of
them. Frank Jureczki's farm site was located near the town and occupied
a section of the present Flying L Ranch. A carved inscription on the small
log cabin on this property indicated that Jureczki built it in 1856. According
to family documents, Jureczki continued to run stock on his country property
after his family had moved into their town residence twenty years later.
The early Polish settlers in Bandera faced numerous hardships in
the wilderness, including disease and Indian raids on the settlement. When
the Polish families arrived, there was a colony of Mormons in Bandera,
but this group later moved to the Mormon Camp, a few miles south of town.
Various entrepreneurs furnished the emigrants with work at a lumberyard
and sawmill, and a Mormon businessman erected a flour mill which was constructed
by Polish settlers. One of the first lumber industries in Bandera converted
large cypress trees into lumber and shingles for local use and transportation
to San Antonio.
Soon after the Polish settlers arrived, many pioneer houses were
built and the social life of the community became active. Frank Jureczki's
store and saloon, located directly across from the Catholic Church, was
perhaps the most popular gathering place for the Polish Community. Jureczki
and his wife reared five children in the primitive Bandera Polish Community,
and in 1908, their son, Albert, took sole possession of the home. Albert
continued to live in the house with his wife, Annie, and their three sons.
One of his sons, Henry, and his wife, Thelma, lived in the former store
area for nineteen years before building their own home next door.
Their daughter, Thelma Jean, currently Mrs. Charles Kuhn of Denver,
was born in the house. Albert Jureczki's wife died about 1930, and he continued
to live in the house until his death in the 1950s. The only family member
still living in Texas, Mrs. Thelma Jureczki, now a widow, continues to
live next door, and has served as treasurer of Bandera County for many
years.
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